    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
    [November 4, 2004]
    [Page 2949]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement Congratulating President Hamid Karzai
    on His Election as President of Afghanistan
    November 4, 2004

        I congratulate President Karzai on his election victory. I commend
    the millions of Afghan men and women who voted in the first democratic
    election in their Nation's history. Through this simple act of voting,
    the Afghan people declared to the world their determination to move
    beyond a brutal legacy of oppression, terror, and fear to a future of
    hope, democracy, and freedom. The large turnout by Afghan women, who
    made up 40 percent of all voters, confirms that there is a vital role
    for women in the politics of a nation proud of its Islamic heritage. The
    election also makes clear that a free Afghanistan is a partner in the
    war on terror, a beacon of hope in a troubled region of the world, and
    an example to other countries working to realize the promise of freedom.